Read More

Klitschko said: "I deliberately took a few weeks to make my decision, to make sure I had enough distance from the fight at Wembley Stadium.

"As an amateur and a professional boxer, I have achieved everything I dreamed of, and now I want to start my second career after sports."

Wladimir Klitschko with Anthony Joshua (Image: PA)

After an unbeaten run that lasted 11 years, Klitschko lost his final two fights, conceding his IBF, WBA and WBO titles when being outpointed by Tyson Fury, while he was stopped by Joshua in the 11th round at Wembley.

Even in the second of those defeats, the Ukrainian recovered from a fifth-round knockdown to heavily drop Joshua for the first time in his professional career.

That final fight - he has chosen not to exercise his rematch clause - was widely considered the most entertaining at heavyweight since the glamour era of the 1990s, and was also perhaps the biggest since Lennox Lewis overcame Mike Tyson in 2002.

Read More

Speaking immediately after the Joshua defeat, Klitschko said he would consider his future and that the only fight that could tempt him to continue would be a rematch with the 27-year-old Briton.

In the build-up to April's fight his trainer Johnathon Banks also said that if he felt his fighter was no longer able to perform at the level he long had, he would encourage him to retire.

Wladimir Klitschko took on British star Anthony Joshua back in April (Image: PA)

Joshua's promoters Matchroom had the necessary logistics in place for a November 11 date at Las Vegas' T-Mobile Arena, but despite him impressing at Wembley Klitschko has left "the best choice of profession" before a significant decline.

"I would have never imagined that I would have such a long and incredibly successful boxing career," he continued in his statement.

"I'm very thankful for this. Thanks to everyone who has always supported me. Especially my family, my team and my many fans.

Wladimir Klitschko (Image: PA)

"It was the best choice of a profession I could have made.

"At some point in our lives, we need to or just want to switch our careers and get ourselves ready for the next chapter. Now it's my turn."

Read More

While at his peak, around the time of his one-sided, 2011 victory over David Haye, Klitschko held three of the four world heavyweight titles, at a time when his older brother Vitali was the WBC champion.

He also worked with the late Manny Steward, then widely considered the world's finest trainer, and lost only five of 69 fights.